Walker (DD 517) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 9 text:

WALKERS's combat life during World War II had various moments of fear and glory. As a part of the SEVENTH Fleet in the Philip- pines, her guns accounted for a Jap Zero plane and covered the waves of invasion troops storming ashore on Leyte. Later, while WALKER was on picket duty off Okinawa, a suicide plane crashed close aboard parting a life line. Her guns then blasted three planes from the sky. When she finally steamed into Tokyo Harbor as an escort for General MacArthur's surrender team, her history revealed an array of six bat- tle Stars with countless instances of individual heroic performances. With peace came the Mothball Fleet, but WALKER was not destined for quiet retirement. When plans were developed for a new submarine killer, the Mare Island Naval Ship Yard changed WALKER'S face, installed the latest and most deadly underwater weapons, and she rejoined the fleet as an escort destroyer on September 15, 1950. With the Korean conflict ahead, WALKER sped across the Pacific, where she participated in carrier strikes and shore bombardments along the rug- ged Korean coastline. Since then she has been a frequent member of the Far East Force, rotating between the SEVENTH Fleet and her home port in the Hawaiian Islands. Commander COMMANDING OFFICERS C. Gregor, USN Lt. Commander F. Townsent, USN Commander P. D. Quirk, USN lDecommissioned May 31, 19461 lReactivated September 15, 19501 Commander Commander Commander Commander Commander Commander Commander Commander Commander W. M. Shifflette, USN M. C. Walley, USN R. L. Kalen, USN C. H. Smith, USN F. E. McKenzie, USN J. P. Gutting, USN B. W. Drew USN G. W. Prada, USN L. W. Kelley, USN April 3, 1943 July 27, 1943 December 5, 1944 September 15, 1950 March 14, 1952 July 22, 1953 September 9, 1955 July 19, 1957 November 29, 1958 August 11, 1960 May 12, 1961 June 29, 1963 July 27, 1943 December 5, 1944 May 31, 1946 March 14, 1952 July 22, 1953 September 9, 1955 July 19, 1957 November 29, 1958 August 11, 1960 May 12, 1961 June 29, 1963

Page 8 text:

WALKER HISTORY The U. S. S. WALKER CDD-517D was built in Bath, Maine and commissioned in Boston, Massachusetts on April 3, 1943 in honor of Rear Admiral John Grimes Walker, USN, who was born in 1835 and died in 1907 as one of the Navy's early heroes. The Pacific Ocean is not new to WALKER, for she roamed these waters during World War 11 for over thirty months. During the early campaigns of 1943 and 1944, she engaged the enemy in the Gilbert Islands Marshall Island Dutch New Guineas Marianas Philip pmes and Okinawa before Joining the striking force against the Japa nese home islands JD 5 , , , . . - A fgrw r I . . 12' V . 1 fJ'l'f tt sss or r ,, ,ig A 'Q , - A A so

Page 10 text:

Born in West Roxbury, Massachusetts on August 26, 1922, Commander Kelley undertook his early education at the Rox- bury Latin School. This was followed with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Amherst College, in Amherst, Massachu- setts. His naval training was completed at Notre Dame University where he was enrolled in Midshipmen School and was commissioned on November 23, 1943. COMMANDER L. W. KELLEY, USN Upon receiving his commission as an Ensign, he assumed the duties of Ord- nance Officer of Beach Jumper Unit 116. In 1946, he was assigned to the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Virginia, followed by orders to LSMR 510. Further duty aboard LST 1102 provided him with experience in Communications and the Gunnery Department. In December 1948, Commander Kelley was graduated from the General Line Officers School in Monterey, California. His subsequent assignment was to USS ANTIETAM QCV-365 in the Communications Department. This was followed by further background in the Operations Department aboard USS G. K. MACKENZIE CDD-8365. His next appointment was to the staff of Commander Destroyer Squadron 14 as Operations Officer. Commander Kelley was an instructor in the NROTC Unit at Yale University from 1951-1953 before assuming command of USS AGGRESSIVE QMSO-4225, in August 1953 Then in Rome Italx he served on the staff of the Military Assistance Advisory Group as Chief Plans and Pro rams Branch Following this tour of duty he was ordered to the Key West Test and Evaluation Detachment Key West Florida HOMA CITY QCLG ol before tal in command of USS WALKER CDD 5171 OH June 29 1963 , g . , Commander Kelley recently completed duties as Operations Officer aboard USS OKLA- -F 5 ' si' g - i s 9 ni